Kentucky Farmers Reject $26 Million AI Data Center Offer

Landowners Ida Huddleston and her daughter, Delsia Bare, rejected a combined offer of $26.48 million to sell 216 hectares of ancestral farmland in Mason County, Kentucky. The land was targeted for a proposed 2.2-gigawatt hyperscale data center campus with electricity requirements equivalent to nearly two million average US homes.

While Bare initially signed a contract due to developer pressure and fears of eminent domain, both women ultimately withdrew. The family cited concerns over groundwater contamination, water shortages, and noise pollution. Huddleston dismissed the offer as a scam, arguing that data centers produce nothing of value for the land.

Public records suggest Meta is the developer behind the project, though the company stated no decision had been made about working in the area. The Joint Planning Commission of Mason County has already approved rezoning for over 2,000 acres assembled from other landowners. County officials claim the project would create 400 permanent jobs and over 1,000 construction jobs.

The dispute has divided the local community and led to legal challenges by Bare and other opponents. These actions have delayed $110 million in payments to neighboring landowners who had already agreed to sell. The conflict reflects a growing national trend of data center moratoriums in cities like Seattle and Nashville amid the artificial intelligence boom.